You swipe up to leave a video and expect a small floating window to keep playing. Instead, the app shows nothing and only continues playing audio in the background, or the video simply stops altogether.
What's going on? Why is Picture in Picture not working on iOS?
In this blog, I'll explain some common causes and provide clear steps to resolve this iOS PiP not working issue.
Possible Reasons for iOS PiP Not Working
Picture in Picture can stop working for a few common reasons. Here are some of the most common causes:
- System setting turned off;
- Video is paused instead of playing;
- App doesn't support PiP or requires a paid subscription;
- Conflicting settings, such as Low Power Mode, Screen Time restrictions, etc.
- Outdated app or iOS version;
- App-specific issues (especially YouTube).
But first, you need iOS 14 or later for this feature. It works on iPhone 6s and newer models. The app you use also has to support it. Safari works with web videos. Apple TV, FaceTime, and Podcasts usually work too. Some third-party apps like Netflix and YouTube support it as well.
Fix iOS Picture-in-Picture Not Working in Apps
#1. Check for App PiP Support
Not every app works with this feature.
Netflix ad-supported subscription plans do not support PiP on iPhones or iPads.
YouTube PiP works for non-premium users, though music videos and certain content may require a Premium subscription. Outside the US, a Premium subscription is typically required for PiP playback.
Discord and Twitch rely on your phone or tablet's system-level app permissions to display floating video or voice overlays when you minimize the app.
Apple TV, FaceTime, Podcasts, and Safari usually do. For other apps that don't support PiP, you can also try watching in Safari. Request the desktop site, play the video, then leave the app.
#2. Turn On System-Wide Picture in Picture
Your iPhone has a main switch that controls Picture in Picture. To enable PiP on your iPhone:
- Go to Settings > General.
- Tap Picture in Picture.
- Turn on Start PiP Automatically.
#3. Enable In-App PiP Settings
Apps often have their own settings for Picture-in-Picture. For example, to enable PiP settings within the YouTube app:
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile or the You tab in the bottom right corner.
- Tap the Settings gear icon in the top right.
- Select Video and audio preferences or Playback, and turn on Picture-in-picture.
Note: As mentioned earlier, outside the U.S., using PiP on YouTube requires a YouTube Premium membership.
#4. Update iOS and Your Apps
You need iOS 14 or later for this feature. Old versions of apps can break the feature. Fresh updates often solve the problem.
- Update the app in the App Store.
- Next go to Settings > General > Software Update. Install any iOS updates that are waiting.
#5. Force-Quit and Restart
Sometimes the app or your phone just needs a fresh start. This also clears temporary glitches following an update or a change in settings.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see your open apps.
- Swipe the video app away to close it fully.
Open the app again. If that does not help, restart your iPhone or iPad.
#6. Additional Toggles
A few extra settings and tricks can fix stubborn cases.
Turn off Low Power Mode for a while. Check Screen Time under Content and Privacy Restrictions if you use that feature.
As a last step, delete the app and download it again from the App Store. This clears out old data that can cause problems.
Web apps you save to your Home Screen can also fail. These Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) often block Picture in Picture even when the same page works fine in Safari.
#7. Play the Video in Safari
Some apps never added Picture in Picture support. You still have a simple workaround. Open the same video in Safari instead.
- Open Safari. Head to a streaming site that supported PiP. Make sure the streaming app does offer a web page access.
- Tap on a video clip or a live broadcast to play.
- Click the Square icon on the video right lower corner to enable the Full screen mode.
- Find the Picture-in-Picture icon and tap it.
Your video will then shrink to fit the iPhone screen in PiP size. And you can feel free to swipe to other applications for messaging, viewing forums, etc.
#8. Use a PiP Bookmarklet in Safari
If Safari fails to activate PiP properly or the PiP button is missing, you can try using a Picture-in-Picture bookmarklet within the browser. Here's how.
Step 1: Open Shortcuts and click on Plus button to add a new shortcut
Step 2: Tap on Add Action and then tap the Web icon
Step 3: Tap Run JavaScript on Web Page
Step 4: Hit the Web Page blue icon and then choose Shortcut Input
Step 5: Delete the existing scripts and paste the following script onto it:
let v = document.querySelector('video');
v.addEventListener('webkitpresentationmodechanged', (e)=>e.stopPropagation(), true);
setTimeout(()=>v.webkitSetPresentationMode('picture-in-picture'), 3000);
completion()
Note that you'd better delete the script line by line instead of selecting all and paste. Otherwise, Shortcuts might experience error of unexpected quit.
Step 6: Rename this action as "YouTube PiP iOS 14" by tapping the three-dots icon on the top right corner
Step 7: Toggle on "Show in Sharesheet" and go to Share Sheet Types
Step 8: Deselect All types and select only Safari Web Page
Step 9: Confirm all the settings and tap done
Now you can open a YouTube video in Safari and tap the Share button. Swipe down to the YouTube PiP iOS shortcut tab and tap on it. Remember to allow safari access. Tada, job's done!
Fix iOS 14 Picture-in-Picture Not Working with Saved Videos in GALLERY/Files
"Picture-in-Picture (PIP) not working on Saved videos in GALLERY and FILES app, I want it mainly for the already saved videos in iPhone. What to do?" - from a Reddit user
Apple TV app has a local version called Video and it does 100% supports PIP on iOS. In there, under the Library, you'll see two categories – Home Video and Downloaded. All videos saved in this application can be played in PIP on iOS. So, you can simply transfer those saved TV series and movies to Apple TV app (Video app).
Step 1: Install DearMob iPhone Manager and launch it.
You will need DearMob iPhone Manager, by using this tool, you can export videos in Gallery and Files app and transfer them back to your Apple TV/Video app. You can also directly transfer videos from your computer to iPhone Apple TV to enjoy PiP view.
Step 2: Locate all the videos you want to watch in PIP mode and export them.
Case 1: If your videos are saved in Files, direct to Files Tab > Select the video via its path > Click Export
Case 2: If your videos are saved in Gallery, head to the Video/Movie tab > Video Recorded > Select the videos > Click Export
Note: Upon export, your can delete those videos on iPhone right away to prevent duplicate vidoes taking up too much iPhone storage space.
Step 3: Import the video into Apple TV app
Go to Video & Movie > under Home Video > Click "Add video" > Click Sync
Or, you can directly drag and drop the video to the Home Video panel and click Sync button
This time, on your iPhone, you can check out all your saved videos being moved to the Home Video, tap on one and enjoy the iOS 14 Picture in Picture mode now!
